2016 May - Pro Football Rumors

Marshawn Lynch Hasn’t Filed For Retirement

May 12th, 2016 at 11:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks placed Marshawn Lynch on the reserve/retired list, but the running back has yet to file the corresponding paperwork on his end, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. The source adds that Lynch has had no direct communication with the Seahawks about his plans either, which leaves the door open to speculation about his future.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Lynch posted an image of green cleats hung up over a wire, ostensibly signifying the end of his football career. Lynch reportedly also told people close to him that he intends to retire, but he seems to have left things open ended with the Seahawks and the league office.

The simplest explanation here is that Lynch has not signed a stack of forms sitting next to his mail pile in the kitchen. Alternatively, Lynch could be plotting a 2016 return, though it might not be in Seattle. If Lynch decides to play football in 2016, the Seahawks would then have to decide whether they want to reabsorb his ~$9MM base salary for the upcoming season. With roughly $9.5MM in cap space (per Over The Cap), the Seahawks could have a tough time fitting the veteran running back into their budget. Hypothetically, if Lynch comes back and the Seahawks feel they don’t have space, they could trade him or cut him.

As it stands, the Seahawks are set to go into the season with a backfield headlined by Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael. Beyond that, the team has a group of rookie running backs including third-round selection C.J. Prosise.

A five-time Pro Bowler, Lynch was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2012, and has a Super Bowl ring. For his career, the former first-round pick racked up a total of 9,112 rushing yards for the Seahawks and Bills, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and totaling 83 touchdowns. While his final season was cut short by injuries, he had earned four consecutive Pro Bowl nods prior to 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC East Notes: Wentz, Washington, Giants

May 12th, 2016 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

Barring an unforeseen problem, the Eagles are expecting No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz to sign when he arrives in Philadelphia today, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

The 23-year-old Wentz is the first FCS quarterback to be drafted in the first round since the Ravens picked Joe Flacco in 2008. Even though he has spent the last few years playing against weaker competition than other top QBs, evaluators believe that Wentz has the size and arm strength to make an impact in the NFL. In his two seasons as NDSU’s starter, Wentz threw for more than 4,700 yards and 42 touchdowns against only 14 interceptions, while helping the Bison win two FCS titles.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

New Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas comes with a pretty impressive resume, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer highlights. Douglas previously worked in the Baltimore Ravens’ scouting department for more than 15 years and is credited with pushing the team to acquire talents like credited with helping acquire quarterback Joe Flacco, guard Marshal Yanda, linebacker C.J. Mosley, guard Ben Grubbs, and kicker Justin Tucker.
Washington‘s young talent looks much better than it did this time last year, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. At the age of 25, tight end Jordan Reed headlines the team’s list of young standouts and that comes as no surprise given the monster deal he just inked with the team. Tackle Morgan Moses, running back Chris Thompson, and even kicker Dustin Hopkins are among the team’s youngsters that are worth watching.
James Kratch of NJ.com rated the best undrafted free agent signings made by Giants GM Jerry Reese over the years. The list is headlined by a true no-brainer pick in wide receiver Victor Cruz. Cruz, a former star at Paterson Catholic, became a key cog on the Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI team. Currently, the Giants are unsure of what they have in their former salsa-dancing star after he missed most of the last two seasons. The list of notable Big Blue UDFAs also includes tight end Larry Donnell and linebacker Mark Herzlich.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jaguars Sign Bjoern Werner

May 12th, 2016 at 9:35am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 9:35am: Werner’s contract with Jaguars does not contain any guaranteed money and is basically a “prove it” deal, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Caplan does not specify the length of the deal, but I would surmise that it is a one-year pact.

WEDNESDAY, 3:30pm: The Jaguars continue to make changes on their defensive line this offseason, announcing today that they’ve signed defensive end Bjoern Werner. A former first-round pick, Werner was waived by the Colts about two months ago.

Werner, 25, appeared in 38 games over the last three years for the Colts, including 16 starts. In that time, the Florida State alum registered 77 tackles (61 solo), 6.5 sacks, five passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. However, the majority of Werner’s production came in his first two years in the league — in 2015, he appeared in 10 games and picked up just 11 total tackles and one fumble recovery.

After being selected 24th overall in the 2013 draft, Werner never lived up to expectations with the Colts, but figures to be an inexpensive gamble for the Jaguars. Contract terms aren’t yet known, but I’d be surprised if Werner gets more than a minimum salary deal from Jacksonville.

The Jaguars added Malik Jackson in free agency, and will get Dante Fowler Jr. back from injury this season. The team also added Myles Jack, Yannick Ngakoue, Sheldon Day, Tyrone Holmes, and Jonathan Woodard on the third day of the draft, so there will be several new front-seven players vying for roles and roster spots in 2016.

In a corresponding roster move, the Jaguars also cut cornerback Chance Casey today.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Edelman, Bills, Archer

May 12th, 2016 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman recently underwent left foot surgery but is on track to return for training camp, sources tell Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Edelman recently was spotted in New York City with a protective boot on his foot and riding around on a motorized device after having undergoing a “cleanup procedure” (link).

Last year, Edelman missed roughly half of the regular season due to his foot injury. In nine games, the 29-year-old caught 61 passes for 692 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

The Patriots worked out wide receiver LaRon Byrd on Wednesday, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Byrd has had previous stints with Arizona, Dallas, Cleveland, and Miami. Washington released Byrd earlier this month.
Joe Buscaglia of WKBW looked at how running back Dri Archer could fit in with the Bills. Buffalo already has LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams at tailback with two other promising young players behind them, so he feels that Archer’s best chance at cracking the roster would be to make it as a kickoff/punt returner. In 2015, the Bills were one of the worst teams in the league when it came to returning the ball on special teams, so Archer’s speed could provide a big boost in that area.
A phone call from Bill Belichick sealed the deal for undrafted running back D.J. Foster to sign with the Patriots, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. “I was talking to a few teams at the time, but when I got the chance to talk to Coach Belichick, I kind of took a step back and talked to my family, figuring out what’s right for me in my life as a young adult,” the former Arizona State athlete said. “I thought it was the best decision for me.” Foster was a hybrid receiver/tailback in college but so far the Patriots have been utilizing him as a running back in practice. For his part, Foster says that he isn’t bummed out about going undrafted and says he’s excited about the opportunity that he has in New England.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bradford’s Agent Wanted Broncos Trade

May 11th, 2016 at 7:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Sam Bradford has reported to the Eagles for their voluntary camp, but just a few weeks ago, his status with the team was anything but certain. After the Eagles traded up to the No. 2 pick in the draft to select a quarterback, Bradford was feeling rather unloved and asked for a trade. The Broncos, who had quite a bit of uncertainty at the position, kicked the tires on the quarterback.

Ultimately, however, Denver moved on from Bradford upon hearing the Eagles’ spit take-inducing asking price. The Broncos are now prepared to head into 2015 with Mark Sanchez and rookie Paxton Lynch under center, but agent Tom Condon says that he tried hard to help facilitate a deal while it was still a possibility.

“We thought we had a chance to go to a really god football team and be there for a long time,” Condon said on The Rich Eisen Show (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “That opportunity was there and the attempt was made. When the Broncos contacted the Eagles and talked about the trade, they couldn’t agree on a price. At that point our options are pretty limited. So, our next best option is to go back and prepare for the season.”

Bradford has accepted his fate for now, but if things pan out with Carson Wentz as the Eagles expect, he might not be a part of the team’s plans beyond 2016. Bradford’s new two-year deal calls for most of its guarantees to be paid in 2016, so the Eagles could move on from him in 2017 if they deem him expendable.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

49ers Haven’t Asked Bush, Boldin To Return

May 11th, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Zachary Links

No huge surprise here, but the 49ers have not asked running back Reggie Bush or wide receiver Anquan Boldin to re-sign, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets.

Bush, 31, announced in February that he is intent on playing in 2016. What isn’t clear, however, is whether there is strong interest from NFL teams in making that a reality. Bush later signed with the 49ers last season, but he played just five games before tearing his left ACL on the concrete at the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis. It was a terrible ending to a year that never really got started – Bush ran for just 28 yards before his unfortunate spill.

As for Boldin, today’s news means that things have not changed since about three weeks ago when things were said to be quiet between SF and the veteran. Boldin’s visited Washington in late March (his only free agent visit to date), but he says that he will not rush to put pen to paper. In other words, if Washington made an offer to the 35-year-old, then it was for less money than Boldin feels he is worth.

Boldin had a down year in 2015, missing a couple games due to injury and finishing with 69 receptions for 789 yards and four touchdowns. However, someone taking an optimistic view on Boldin might argue that the Niners’ quarterback situation hurt his performance. Prior to the start of free agency, Pro Football Rumors rated Boldin as the fifth-best free agent wide receiver available.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cardinals, Tyrann Mathieu Talking Extension

May 11th, 2016 at 5:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Contract talks between safety Tyrann Mathieu and the Cardinals are once again in motion, agent Tom Condon tells Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic. No deal is imminent at this time, but Cardinals GM Steve Keim is on record as saying that a new deal for the player formerly known as Honey Badger is a priority. The Cardinals and Mathieu discussed an extension back in February, but things ostensibly were put on hold during the madness of free agency and the draft.

Mathieu is slated to earn a modest $1.5MM salary in his contract year. Of course, his negotiations are complicated after he underwent surgery in December to fix his torn ACL. Mathieu, who will not take the practice field until training camp this summer, could be in line for more than $10MM per year on his new deal. However, as Somers notes, the Cards might want to see how Mathieu looks before committing that kind of cash.

The former third-round pick is one of the league’s hardest hitters at his position and is an impact player when he’s on the gridiron. However, Mathieu has missed eight games across his three NFL seasons and the team likely has concerns about his durability.

“More than anything he’s a football player regardless of position and he’s a guy who can be a difference maker,” Keim told PFT. “The hardest part of it all is in three years he has had two significant knee injuries. Aside from that Tyrann has done everything right on and off the field and he’s a guy that we envision as hopefully a face of the program moving forward.”

In 2015, Mathieu earned a Pro-Bowl selection and was named First-Team All-Pro. In his 14 games, Mathieu recorded five interceptions, 89 tackles, 1 sack, 17 passes defensed, and also recorded a defensive touchdown.

In other Cardinals contract news, Condon tells Somers that no contract talks have taken place regarding fellow client Calais Campbell. The defensive lineman is slated to carry a hefty $15.25MM cap number this year with a salary of $9.5MM. Condon claimes that the team’s selection of Robert Nkemdiche in last month’s draft has no bearing on Campbell’s future in Arizona, but I personally do not agree with the agent’s assessment of the situation. It’s also worth noting that the Cardinals traded for standout defensive end Chandler Jones earlier this offseason and there probably isn’t enough money in the budget to dole out big bucks to both players in the long-term.

Campbell, 30, is coming off of his second-straight Pro Bowl season, but the Cardinals will have some tough choices to make if they hope to retain Jones. After defensive lineman Malik Jackson and Olivier Vernon received monster deals this offseason, the Cardinals may have pay Jones $20MM or more per season on a multi-year deal.

In late March, Campbell dumped troubled agent Ben Dogra in favor of Condon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/16

May 11th, 2016 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from across the NFL:

The Buccaneers have claimed safety Johnny Lowdermilk off waivers from the Vikings, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The team also waived rookie safety Traveon Henry and rookie wide receiver Dez Stewart (injured).
The Bengals made a minor change at the back of their 90-man roster, signing former Louisville offensive tackle Aaron Epps and waiving tackle Darryl Baldwin, per Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Baldwin was an undrafted free agent in 2015 who has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, while Epps tried out for Cincinnati after going undrafted this year. Epps, who stands at 6’7″ and weighs 288 pounds, was a part-time starter at Louisville in 2014 and 2015. He started only 14 contests across his collegiate career.
After cutting former South Florida edge defender Eric Lee earlier this week, the Texans are expected to re-sign him today, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. As Auman explains, the club wanted to change some language in Lee’s contract.
The Buccaneers signed receiver Freddie Martino, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
The Rams signed cornerback Jabriel Washington and released wide receiver Nick Toon and defensive back Winston Rose, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets.
Linebacker Uani Unga, waived yesterday by the Giants, cleared waivers and was added to the Giants’ injured reserve list, as Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweets.
Mike McFarland reverted to the Colts‘ IR after being waived-injured and clearing waivers (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle).
The Packers have reached an injury settlement with tight end David Grinnage, who was signed as a rookie free agent (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
The Patriots have cut linebacker Tony Steward, leaving them with an open roster spot, as Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal tweets.

Draft Pick Signings: Bills, Broncos, Titans

May 11th, 2016 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

More than half of the players selected in the 2016 NFL draft have signed their rookie contracts within the last week and a half. As rookie deals have become more rigid, and more dependent on draft slots, holdouts have become a thing of the past for draftees, and more and more teams are securing their entire draft classes faster than ever.

Here are the latest draft pick signings from around the league:

The Bills have signed the first of their seven draft picks, and the first player to sign was the last one to be drafted. The team announced today on its website that it has locked up sixth-round cornerback Kevon Seymour. “Now that I’ve got this out of the way and can focus now on doing what I really love,” Seymour said. “I’m just blessed to be here and thankful.”
Like Buffalo, Denver also seems to be working backward with its draftees. The first Broncos pick to sign is the team’s seventh-round selection, punter Riley Dixon (Twitter link via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com). Dixon is expected to push Britton Colquitt – who has a $4MM cap hit – for the starting job this summer.
The Titans have agreed to terms with sixth-round guard Sebastian Tretola, the 193th overall pick out of Arkansas, writes Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. Tretola, the seventh of 10 Tennessee draftees to sign, is in line for a four-year contract worth $2.473MM, with a signing bonus of nearly $133K, per Over the Cap.

Eagles Hire Joe Douglas As Personnel Chief

May 11th, 2016 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

MAY 11, 2:49pm: The Eagles have made the hirings of Joe Douglas and Andy Weidl official, announcing that Douglas is the new vice president of player personnel, while Weidl will be the assistant director of player personnel.

“I have known Joe for several years and have admired his work with both the Ravens and the Bears,” Howie Roseman said in a statement. “He is a guy that we had targeted from the outset. I feel that we are very fortunate to have him lead our player personnel department. (Ravens GM) Ozzie Newsome and (Bears GM) Ryan Pace spoke very highly of him and his work. He is passionate about football, passionate about scouting and he played a vital role in the success of the Ravens over the last decade.”

MAY 8, 7:32am: The Eagles are set to hire Douglas as a head of their personnel department, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Enquirer reports. The move is expected to become official on Monday, according to McLane.

MAY 4, 3:55pm: The Eagles are interviewing Joe Douglas for their personnel chief job, and there’s a very good chance the Bears executive will be hired following that meeting, according to multiple reports. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune first reported that Douglas, the Bears’ scouting director, would interview for the job opening in Philadelphia.

While Biggs referred to Douglas as a “very strong candidate,” several reporters since then have gone even further. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the interview is “believed to be a mere formality,” while Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link) has heard from multiple sources that the job is Douglas’ if he wants it. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com adds (via Twitter) that the Bears are “bracing” for Douglas’ departure.

Having parted ways with head coach Chip Kelly and top personnel executive Ed Marynowitz at the start of the 2016 offseason, the Eagles handed the reins back to Howie Roseman, but had been on the lookout for an outside hire to head up their personnel department, replacing Marynowitz. After interviewing candidates like Brandon Hunt, Morocco Brown, Dwayne Joseph, and Mark Dominik in the winter, the Eagles decided to put their search on hold until after the draft. Now, they appear to have identified their preferred target, in Douglas.

Douglas, who joined the Bears approximately a year ago, spent the previous 15 years with the Ravens, serving as Baltimore’s national scout from 2012 to 2015. Assuming he is offered the Eagles’ job and accepts it, Douglas is expected to bring Ravens East Coast scout Andy Weidl with him, assigning him a prominent scouting role, tweets Mosher.

Per Mosher (via Twitter), Philadelphia’s official interview with Douglas will take place on Thursday, so we should have an update soon on whether he’ll be leaving Chicago to take the Eagles’ job.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.